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Why Hinduism?

This thread is opened to understand Hinduism better. My knowledge of Hinduism is very limited, but what I do know is that Hinduism is probably the most generic name used for the largest library of philosophies in the world. I remember vividly a scholar of sociology of religion once stated in a Youtube video that "the Buddha was teaching hinduism to hindus" and all the Buddhists who watched it got pretty ticked off. :)

I know that Hindu's don't proselytise. But as a group or a whole population, in global statistics Hinduism has been, is and in my opinion "will be" the most stable through time to come. Their number don't change much. This indicates that though people rarely convert to Hinduism (as a general statement), they don't convert out of Hinduism to other theologies and there has to be a reason for that conviction. I would like to understand that better.

Hinduism contains atheistic philosophies as well. As I understand the Advaitha (not advanta vedantha) arm is atheistic but indepth understanding is needed.

Though you don't proselytise, would you be kind enough to share some thoughts on "why hinduism"? So of course this might entail the question "Why not other theologies but Hinduism". Thank you very much.

I am editing this to add a few questions if anyone is willing to contribute to. I guess some questions might not be pertinent to the non-theistic schools of thought.

1. Do you follow the school of causation or occasionalism? Based on what arm of Hinduism?
2. Are you a pantheist? If so, who was the creator? Did this creator exist prior to creation which seems like a logical entailment to have existed prior to creation?
3. As an atheist how would you reconcile with the other schools of thought who have theistic beliefs? I am associating that question to others who use the same literature for their beliefs.

I hope these questions don't derail the main question of "why hinduism".

Thank you again.
The short answer is that Hinduism was a religious system that seemed to embrace the complexity of reality. Most systems I had looked into before hand just didn't really see to jive with the complex reality I was seeing around me. Hinduism is a system of contradictions and that just worked for me. It was something where what I already believed lined up well enough with broad strokes of Hinduism. I didn't have to give up part of myself or try to justify things that didn't make sense to me. I didn't have to try and make sense of something that felt antithetical to reality like I had to with previous religions.
 

syo

Well-Known Member
"why hinduism"
trimurti.jpg
 

George-ananda

Advaita Vedanta, Theosophy, Spiritualism
Premium Member
Unaffiliated. Meaning either agnostic or atheist. Advaitha. Great.
Not really, 'unaffiliated' means I am not involved with any religious organization.

Pantheist is the best term for my belief. It is saying God/Brahman is the ground reality of all this and the universe is a play/drama of God/Brahman.
Why do you think this is the correct way?
Decades of consideration of all philosophies/theologies out there. Nondual means it is a stage beyond the dual (God and creation are 'two') philosophy of the Abrahamic religions.
 

Aupmanyav

Be your own guru
Further, it is an understanding that any individual can attain as well.
^^^ And further if I may add, without requiring any rebirth (at least as per my views).

"na cā sangata naiva muktih na meyaḥ, cidānanda rūpaḥ śivo'ham śivo'ham."
There is neither bondage nor liberation for me. I am a form of bliss, I am the Auspicious, I am the eternal.
Nirvana Shatakam in Sanskrit, English with Meaning (The First (Adi) Sankaracharya, last line verse 6)
 

mikkel_the_dane

My own religion
Firedragon, two things according to advaita if they be of any help.
Vyavaharika Satya (Pramatic Reality): What we see in the world. That is an illusion of sorts, since it is superficial, not that it does not exist.
Paramarthika Satya (Absolute Reality): That of physical energy and force fields, which makes up the 'Pragmatic Reality'. Like the atoms in what seems to be your finger.

The problem is that you can't see absolute reality, but you say it is there, but that is in pragmatic reality. So the only evidence you actually have is that you in pragmatic reality, that can believe in it and that I don't have to believe in it as a part of pragmatic reality.
All of your evidence is in your head as a part of pragmatic reality and my ability to think differently in a real part of pragmatic reality.
 

Vinayaka

devotee
Premium Member
The Trimurti.
You mean that indologist highlighted concept that has very little to do with Hinduism as it is today. Vaishnavites certainly don't believe in it. Saivites like me certainly don't believe in it. Shaktas don't believe in it. Smartas have Brahma as one of their 6 main choices. There are no Brahma temples in all of India. What is your source for this?
 
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LuisDantas

Aura of atheification
Premium Member
Firedragon, two things according to advaita if they be of any help.
Vyavaharika Satya (Pramatic Reality): What we see in the world. That is an illusion of sorts, since it is superficial, not that it does not exist.
Paramarthika Satya (Absolute Reality): That of physical energy and force fields, which makes up the 'Pragmatic Reality'. Like the atoms in what seems to be your finger.
I keep forgetting to ask, might as well do that now: can you give me any rough estimate of how well-known and how popular are Advaita and Dvaita?

If at all possible, compared to each other and to stances that aren't really a part of either?
 

sun rise

The world is on fire
Premium Member
There are no Brahma temples in all of India.

There is one. I visited it during a trip to India. There is a wikipedia page on it.

The main part of this post is about what in the basic Hindu conceptions is appealing. It's not the religious aspects but the basic philosophical and cosmological that I'm thinking of.

One is the "creator, preserver, destroyer" concept which models life perfectly. Everything and everyone is born, matures/lives and finally dies. Some Hindu systems personify this basic point but that's something else.

Then there's karma, reincarnation and dharma. "Karma" is to me the same as the Biblical sowing and reaping but to me Hinduism puts it on a physical action/reaction level through various lives. Positive karma is sown by following one's dharma. Again I'm not thinking of the detailed discussion of differences in how religions and people view dharma but the basic idea.

Finally the guru was mentioned in an earlier post. There are figures in other religions such as the Jewish Baal Shem Tov, Christianity's St. Francis of Assisi, Sufism's Rumi and Hafiz and Buddhist Bodhidharma. But such figures in India often don't focus on theological disputation or the mental operation of compare/contrast but on universal fundamentals.

Figures from the past such as Ramakrishna Paramhamsa and more recently Ramana Maharshi, Papaji and Nisargadatta Maharaj are living models of the kind of human being I aspire to become. Each of these figures has a different way of teaching but what appeals to me is a direct focus on principles especially when done with humor that offers a mirror for us to look ourselves. Here's one short fun example

 

SalixIncendium

अहं ब्रह्मास्मि
Staff member
Premium Member
Why is there never popcorn around when the conversation calls for it?
 

Vinayaka

devotee
Premium Member
There is one. I visited it during a trip to India. There is a wikipedia page on it.

The main part of this post is about what in the basic Hindu conceptions is appealing. It's not the religious aspects but the basic philosophical and cosmological that I'm thinking of.

One is the "creator, preserver, destroyer" concept which models life perfectly. Everything and everyone is born, matures/lives and finally dies. Some Hindu systems personify this basic point but that's something else.

Then there's karma, reincarnation and dharma. "Karma" is to me the same as the Biblical sowing and reaping but to me Hinduism puts it on a physical action/reaction level through various lives. Positive karma is sown by following one's dharma. Again I'm not thinking of the detailed discussion of differences in how religions and people view dharma but the basic idea.

Finally the guru was mentioned in an earlier post. There are figures in other religions such as the Jewish Baal Shem Tov, Christianity's St. Francis of Assisi, Sufism's Rumi and Hafiz and Buddhist Bodhidharma. But such figures in India often don't focus on theological disputation or the mental operation of compare/contrast but on universal fundamentals.

Figures from the past such as Ramakrishna Paramhamsa and more recently Ramana Maharshi, Papaji and Nisargadatta Maharaj are living models of the kind of human being I aspire to become. Each of these figures has a different way of teaching but what appeals to me is a direct focus on principles especially when done with humor that offers a mirror for us to look ourselves. Here's one short fun example

Yes I know there is one. But compared to 50 000 or more for any of the 3 main sects, wouldn't you agree that it is insignificant?
 
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